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12 Dec 2012

Bahrain Watch: "PR Watch", company responses and non-responses

Bahrain Watch has a project, "PR Watch", that highlights PR firms that have worked in some form for the government of Bahrain.  The press release refers to the government’s “ongoing human rights violations against its own citizens.” 

It says that “activities by PR companies seek to promote…myths about Bahrain's political situation.”  Among them are that: “any violence carried out by security forces against protesters is always only in reaction to violence carried out by protesters, labeled as ‘terrorists’ or ‘vandals’”; and that “torture and police abuse is not systematic, but is the result of just a few bad apples rather than the orders of any senior officials”. 

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited the firms named by PR Watch to respond.  Their responses and non-responses are below:

Bell Pottinger did not respond
BGR Group did not respond
Big Tent Communications response [PDF]
Cloud Media Entertainment did not respond
Dragon Associates said it "doesn't comment on its client work in public"
G3 did not respond
Gardant Communications did not respond    
Hill + Knowlton Strategies response [DOC]
Joe Trippi & Associates response [DOC]
Mark Stewart Productions did not respond
M&C Saatchi did not respond
New Century Media did not respond
Olton did not respond
Potomac Square Group [DOC]
Qorvis Communications [DOC]
Sanitas International did not respond
Sorini, Samet & Associates [DOC]

Company Responses

Bell Pottinger

No Response

BGR Group

No Response

Big Tent Communications View Response
Cloud Media Entertainment

No Response

Dragon Associates

No Response

G3

No Response

Gardant Communications

No Response

Hill + Knowlton Strategies View Response
M&C Saatchi

No Response

Mark Stewart Productions

No Response

New Century Media

No Response

Olton

No Response

Potomac Square Group View Response
Qorvis Communications View Response
Sanitas

No Response

Timeline